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REPORT 



SPECIAL COMMITTEE 

OF THE 

TOWN OF NEEDHAM, 

UPON THE SUBJECT OF A 

DIVISION OF THE TO^VN, 

MA.de DECEMBER 6, 1859. 



At a special Town Meeting of the legal voters of Need- 
ham, on the eighth day of November last past, to act upon 
the petition of the Hon. E. K. Whitaker and others, for a 
Committee in reference to a division of the Town, as peti- 
tioned for to the Legislature by some of its inhabitants, 
and to make the necessary investigations respecting Town 
Paupers, Bridges, Schools, &c., and report at an adjourned 
meeting, it was voted : — 

" That a Committee of three from each part of the Town, 
be chosen to take the whole subject of this article into con- 
sideration, and report at an adjourned meeting, and the fol- 
lowing persons were chosen : Artemas Newell, Lauren 
Kingsbury, and Galen Orr, for the easterly part of the 
Town, and William Flagg, John W. Shaw, and George K. 
Daniell, for the westerly part. Voted to adjourn this meet- 
ing to the first Tuesday in December next, at one o'clock, 
P. M, A true copy of record. Attest: 

"SOLOMON FLAGG, Toiun Clerk.'' 

In pursuance of the above votes, your Committee have 
given the subject such attention as time and circumstances 
would permit, and submit the following report: — 

Your Committee based their investigations principally 
upon the following inquiries, which, in their opinion, would 
embrace the most important considerations that may be 



^ Bo roN PuB.LiBivinY 



brought in issue daring the hearing, if any, before the Leg- 
islature : — 

1st. The present valuation of the property, real and per- 
sonal, of the residents and non-residents of this Town, lia- 
ble to taxation; the number of polls; the value of the real 
property owned by the Town in its corporate capacity ; its 
public or permanent debt, and the number of its inhabitants 
by the last census. 

2d. To ascertain as nearly as possible the boundary line 
of separation as petitioned for. 

8d, To ascertain what amount of the taxable property 
is owned or represented on either side of said line; number 
of polls and inhabitants, and the value of the Real Estate 
belonging to the Town, lying on either side of said line. 

4th. What amount and distance, or kngth of highways, 
and number of Bridges in the Town on either side of said 
line, — their character, mode of construction, and present 
condition, liable to be supported by the Town. 

5th. The number of poor persons who are at present 
supported or aided by the Town, and on which side of said 
line tliey had respectively acquired a settlement in the 
Town. 

6th. To ascertain what would be the relative pecuniary 
condition of the inhabitants on each side of said line, in 
case of a division, with reference to taxable property, in- 
creased liabilities and expenses to either, and the amount 
to be paid from one part to ihe other as an equivalent for 
difference in the corporate or Town property, increased pro- 
spective liabilities, and for loss of taxable property. 

The result of these inquiries is as follows : — 

The valuation of Taxable Property in the Town, real 
and personal, as found on the books of the Assessors for 
the present year, (1859) is . . . . $1,674,927 

'1 o wit: 

Real Estate, 1,403,415 

Personal Estate, 271,512 

Number of Polls, _ • 669 

Number of Inhabitants by the census of 1855, . 2,401 
Number of Acres of Land is ... • 15,009 

Corporate property of the Town, to wit: 
Eight School Houses, the estimated total value 

of which is $9,200 

The Town Hall and Almshouse buildings, and 

Farm of about one hundred and ten acres, valued at 6,000 



A tract of wood land in Dover, known as the 

" School Land," of about 40 Acres. 
The public or permanent debt of the Town is now . $5,000 

The above is an exposition of the condition of the whole 
Town, as to its finances, resources and liabilities, at the 
present time. 

The line of division of the Town, as petitioned for, as 
understood by the Committee, is delineated by a faint line 
on the published map of the Town, beginning at a point at 
Charles River, about a quarter of a mile below the Nail 
Factory at the Upper Falls, and running south-westerly in 
a straight line, crossing the road known as the " Worcester 
Turnpike" about a quarter of a mile westerly of said Nail 
Factory; crossing the artificial pond and running near and 
westerly of the house of Isaac Flagg, 2d ; crossing the Rose- 
mary Meadow, so called, near and west of the house of 
Ralph Smith, running near and easterly of the residence of 
the late Otis Sawyer, and easterly of the Town Farm ; cross- 
ing the highway near and west of the house of Mr. Col- 
cord, crossing a road near and west of the house of Mr. 
Cartwright; thence running and crossing the highway near 
and east of the house of Mr. Risk, and west of the house of 
Mr. Knapp; thence running west of the Reynolds estate, 
crossing the new road leading to Natick, a few feet east of 
the bridge, to a point on Charles River, leaving the bridge on 
the west side of the line and the road on the east, — said line 
measuring, according to the map, from one point on the river 
to the other, about five and a quarter miles. 

Taxable Property as re()resented by the Assessors' books 
as lying on each side of the above described line, to wit: 

West Side. 
Valuation of Real Estate, .... $818,850 

" " Personal Estate, .... 112,146 



Total property in West, . . . $930,996 

Number of Polls, 334 

Number of Inhabitants, ..... 1169 

East Side. 

Valuation of Real Estate, .... $584,565 

" " Personal Estate, • • • 159,366 



Total property of East, .... $743,931 



Number of Polls, ...... 335 

Number of Inliabitants, .... 1,232 

Amount of Taxable property on the West side 

of the line, more than that on the East, is . $187,065 
Number of Polls on the East side more than on 

the West, is ..... . I 

Number of Inhabitants on the East side, more 

than on West, is • • . . . 63 

Corporate, or Town Property, located on each side of the 
contemplated line, to wit: 

West side : Four School Houses valued at $5,700. 
viz : 1 in Lower Falls District, 

1 « Grantville " 

1 « West " old 

1 " Pine Plain " 

Town Hall and Farm, valued at 

East Side : Four School Houses val 
viz : 1 in Upper Falls District, 



1 " Great Plain 
1 " Centre 
1 " South 



old 







. $2,500 






1,600 






600 






• 1,000 






. 6,000 


ed at 


$3, 


500. 

$200 
2,000 
1,200 
100 



The difference in value of the School Houses in 

the West, more than those in the East, is • $2,200 

Highways and Bridges. 

The length of the Public Roads in the whole Town, as 
nearly as it can be computed by the map, is not far from 
seventy miles, and is very nearly equal in length on each 
side of the line, but that part of those lying on the West 
side of the line are in much superior condition to those in 
the East. 

The number of Bridges crossing from this Town over 
Charles River, is ten. To wit : 

East of Said Line. 

1 at Upper Falls, built of wood, to Newton, 

1 " " " " « stone, » « 

1 " Kenrick's Crossing, built of wood, to Newton, 

1 called Lyon's Bridge, " " " " Dedhain, 

1 " Day's Bridge, " " " « Dover, 

1 at Dover Mills, " " stone •' Dover, 

1 called Battle Bridge, » " " " Dover, 



There being seven Bridges on the East side of said line, 
three of stone, and four of wood, 

West Side. 
1 near the Reynold's Estate, new, built of wood, to Dover. 
1 at Lower Falls, built of stone, to Newton, 
1 " " » ^' « wood, " " 

There being three Bridges on the West side, one of 
stone, and two of wood. 

The Bridges are all in a good and safe condition, except 
Kenrick's Bridge, having received very nnaterial repairs and 
improvements during the present year. Four of them are 
built of stone in a thorough and substantial manner. And 
it is believed that they will require but trifling repairs for a 
great length of time, unless from some extraordinary cause 
which cannot now be foreseen. 'J'here are six built of wood, 
but are now sound, with the exception of Kenrick's bridge, 
which will soon require considerable outlay. 

Paupers. There are at the present time supported and 
aided by the Town, twenty persons, besides two insane 
persons who are at the liunatio Asylum. 

Of the twenty, two are boys, nine, and eleven years old. 
The average ages of fifteen of the number is more than 
seventy-seven years. Three between the ages of forty and 
forty-five years, and the two boys. 

The average cost of their support, including clothing and 
medical attendance, is about one dollar and ten cents per 
week, each. 

Of the two insane persons, one has a settlement on the 
East side, and one on the West side of said line. 
Jn equalizing the Future Expenditures in case op a 
Division, the Committee adopted the following 
Estimates : 

The value of the School Houses on the West, more than 
those on the East side of the line, is ^2,200, one-half of that 
sum, $1,100, is deemed to be the property of the East, 
which, when paid to the East by the West, will make equal 
that part of the Town property, or will be sufficient to make 
the School Houses in the East, in every respect, equal to 
those on the West side of the line. 

The Bridges on the West side, being three, may be offset 
by the same number on the East, similar as to cost of sup- 
port, which will leave four, all on the East side, which are to 
be supported at the joint expense of both East and West 
for all future time. 



6 

The estimated cost of supporting those four bridges is the 
annual interest upon the sum of Thrke thousand two hun- 
dred dollars. One-half of that sum, or $1,600, being paid 
by the West to the East, it is deemed will be a fair equiva- 
lent for the increased liability of the East by assuming the 
entire support of the four extra bridges, forever. 

The Ilighivays in the easterly part of the Town, being in 
a very inferior condition when compared with those in the 
west, the principal travelled roads as well as those that have 
fallen into disuse from the fact that they are unsafe to 
travel over, would require an expenditure, it is estimated, of 
about two thousand dollars to place them in a fair condition : 
which should be at the joint expense of both East and West, 
or a payment to the East by the West of one thousand 
dollars would be required to indemnify the East by its 
assuming the entire cost of those repairs. But as the West 
would become chargeable for the cost of improving the road 
near the estate of Mr. Hurd, also with the improvement of 
the Sherborn Road, so called, both of which have been ad- 
judicated upon and ordered by the County Commissioners, 
at an estimated cost of one thousand dollars, one-half of 
which cost belongs to the East to pay, it would reduce the 
sum to be paid by the West, to equalize the Highway ex- 
penditure, to $500. 

In searching for a basis upon which to estimate the future 
expenses for supporting the Poor, it is extremely difficult to 
find, by any human calculations, a satisfactory solution to 
the very important question, how many and who may re- 
quire public assistance ? There is no rule by which any elu- 
cidation of that problem can be reached. We have the most 
convincing testimony before us that those who are poor or in 
moderate circumstances at present, are not those exclusively 
who may need future aid. When we see young persons, 
members of some of the most respectable and re|)uted 
wealthy families of earlier days, who, in the prime of life, 
vigor, and usefulness, stricken with maladies which resist 
the most persevering efforts of the best medical talent, and 
finally pronounced incurable, after exhausting their own re- 
sources and those of their triends, have been compelled to 
seek that aid, which is always so readily and cheerfully be- 
stowed upon the unfortunate by their fellow townsmen, we 
are irresistibly led to the conclusion that any estimate made 
upon results which circumstances may bring about in future, 



would not be reliable, and have adopted the only basis that 
has the certainty of beingf correct for the time being, — that 
of the number who at tliis time are receiving public aid 
from the Town. Upon that basis, the estimated cost of 
supporting the Poor which would become chargeable to the 
East more than those for which the West would be liable, is 
$171.60 per annum, which would be equalized by the West 
paying to the East a sum that would produce, at interest, 
one-half that amount annually ($86), which sum would be 
fourteen hundred and thirty-four dollars. 

The amount of property taxable in the West more than 
that in the East, is one hundred and eighty-seven thousand 
and sixty-five dollars, which at an estimated tax of six dol- 
lars and sixty cents upon the thousand dollars, which is the 
average tax for the last ten years, would produce the annual 
sum of twelve hundred and thirty-four dollars and sixty- 
two cents, one-half of which should be paid to the East by 
the West, or a sum producing that amount if at interest — 
which would be the sum of ten thousand, two hundred and 
twenty-eight dollars and fifty cents. 

The whole amount which is to be paid by the West to 
the East, by the foregoing calculations and estimates, pro- 
vided a division of the Town is granted, is fourteen thou- 
sand, nine hundred and twenty-two dollars and fifty cents. 

The Town Hall, Poor Farm and buildings, and Dover 
school land, or any other property of the Town, real or per- 
sonal, together with the permanent debt of the Town, and 
all other matters relevant, not herein before considered, re- 
main for future consideration. 

In summing up the whole matter, in conclusion, after a 
careful examination of the whole subject, estimating the pro- 
spective liabilities from the experience and records of the 
past and the probabilities of the future, with a due regard 
to justice and equity, keeping in view the theory and de- 
clared intention of many of those who petitioned for the 
division, "that they desire to leave their friends and neigh- 
bors in the Easterly part of tlie Town in as favorable pecu- 
niary condition for the present and future as would be con- 
tinued to them if no change were to be effected," your Com- 
mittee feel justified in presenting for the consideration of 
the Town the foregoing report, believing that the results of 
the calculations therein will be found, by even a more care- 
ful and critical investigation than has been given to it, to 
approximate very nearly to the objects to be attained : that 



8 

of equalizing the interests and burdens of both parties in 
the future, in case the prayer of the petitioners for a separa- 
tion shall be granted. 

The Committee, in submitting the foregoing report, do 
not express, or intend to express, any opinion in regard to 
the merits of the main question at issue: that of the pro- 
priety or otherwise of a division of the Town. But they 
endeavor to show that if a division does take place, the 
terms and conditions therein suggested would be fair and 
equitable ; reserving to themselves the right and privilege 
hereafter, to advocate or to dissapprove of the measure as 
their own unbiased judgment shall dictate. 

All of which is respectfully submitted. 

ARTEMAS NEWELL, 
LAUREN KLNGSBURY, 
GALEN ORR, 
WILLIAM FLAGG, 
GEO. K. DANIELL, 
JOHN W. SHAW, 

Needham, Dec. 6th, 1859. 



Committee. 



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